Was E.T. Really made out of chicken wire and playdough?

Question

I have heard about this but i dont really know if it is true.

Answer 1

I found this information about the construction of E.T. by Carlo Rambaldi:
At this point, Lauri Marems was hired to assist in the final sculpting of the clay E.T.'s arms and body. Plaster molds were then made by longtime Rambaldi associate Ralph Cobos, who also manufactured E.T.'s "skin" from a custom-formula polyurethane developed by Rambaldi. Composed of seven different components in its final stages, Rambaldi's special latex can wrinkle and stretch just like real skin. "I decided to make E.T.'s skin first," stated Rambaldi, "Because then it was much easier to arrive at the exact dimensions of the cable-controlled mechanisms over which the skin had to fit."

Here is much more information about the model. There also was a costume to be worn for some moving shots, as well as a go-motion model, one that can move under its own power like the dragon in "Dragonslayer".

Here's the link to the very interesting site which takes E.T. from conception to completed creature:
http://www.cinefex.com/et/et05.html
And, here's an interesting paragraph:
"I made a number of E.T.s for the film," Rambaldi explained. "Mainly, however, we depended on three different ones throughout the filming. One was a lightweight electro-mechanical form which we bolted to the stage floor and which was capable of thirty points of movement in the face and thirty more in the body. Another more complicated body was auto-electronic. When they needed a closeup or something sophisticated, they usually brought out the electronic E.T., which had eighty-six separate points of movement - the most I ever put into a figure. Even King Kong only had forty. And this electronic E.T. had a lot of servo boxes hanging off it and many more cables than the mechanical E.T."

I hope that clears up a lot of misconceptions. Chicken wire and clay wouldn't have been able to produce this creation, especially when you considered what E.T. was called upon to do.

Answer 2

1

Answer 3

No my lost child. E.T. was from another planet. His physical composite is still classifed by the NSA.

Answer 4

How Was Et Made

Answer 5

That's what l read also. lt's the 80's so there isn't much to use to make it real.

There could be a puppet version since the Muppets are "in" in those days.

Answer 6

no it was played by a real person, i dont remember who but i remember seeing him in a interview.

Answer 7

i heard i was playdough or clay...

Answer 8

no no there was just sculpture